First Half

Disclaimer: Even if you’re not a runner or have zero interest in running EVER, this email is still very much for you!

This week, I was working with a client who was hesitant about her goal, her first 5K.

I could tell she had “expectations” for how her experience “should” look.

Did she think…

  • training had to look a certain way, or it wasn’t “good enough?”
  • she had to get a specific time for her first race, or it wasn’t worth telling anyone about?
  • that by signing up, it meant she had to RUN the entire thing?
Completing my first half marathon weighing over 220 pounds, I had a lot to share with her, and it might be helpful for you too! 

As you read, consider your next goal, business project/idea, or motherhood challenge you want to go after. 

Do you have it in mind? If not, think about it! 

Do you think it has to look a certain way to “count?”

When I went to pick up my race packet and received my 

t-shirt, I was made aware that I was the only size XL shirt on the roster, and that was for both the men’s and women’s races. I certainly didn’t look (or weigh) the way most 1/2 marathon runners look, but does that negate my success?

Do you think, if it’s not done by a specific time it’s any less of an accomplishment?

I had one main goal for my first race.

Finish the Race

When we think a goal, project, or challenge has to be completed/solved/obtained by a particular time, that “made-up time frame” often stops us from even starting. 

Ditch the time frame and dedicate yourself to moving forward a little bit more each day. 

Do you think you have to have it all figured out or have the best idea, perfect certification, a big network, or fancy equipment to be successful? 

I didn’t look like your typical 1/2 marathon runner, but I also didn’t have a water supply around my waist, no fancy fuel packs, no watch to time my pace, I ran alone, and I wore hand-me-down running shoes. 

All those “strikes” against me, and I still 

completed the goal.

Remember that goal, business idea, or motherhood challenge that you thought of at the beginning of this email? 

What if you dropped the expectations of what it is supposed to look like and just started?  

Drop the excuses keeping you from going after your next big thing!  

It didn’t matter what I weighed or didn’t have because I was running my OWN race, I set my expectations, and my timeline, and I reached my goals by taking baby steps MY WAY!!  

Those principles are exactly how I grew my six-figure business in less than 18 months while teaching full-time school and parenting my three daughters!
Run your own dang race in life, business, and motherhood!

Run it on your terms, with your OWN goals, fostering your strengths, without excuses, and in a way that makes you proud. 

If you reach your goals, and you’re not proud of how you got there, did you really reach it?   

Treadmill

Do you ever feel like you’re on a treadmill set just a little too fast?

Do you feel like your days are spoken for by endless tasks, roles in family and work, too many expectations, and the pressure to “keep up” in a society that never seems to slow down?

If so, you’re not alone. It’s a daunting situation we all face.

If only there were an emergency shut-off button in life, like on treadmills.

I have something even better than the emergency shut-off button to share with you. I have the solution to keep you from feeling like you need to reach for that button in the first place.

Working with hundreds of women over the years, I’ve noticed they think they don’t have “enough time,” but usually, they are trying to plan too much in their time that’s impossible to complete in the hours they have!

They are trying to stuff a size ten “schedule” into a size two space.

To help you fit everything in with the time you have, you MUST KNOW THE DIFFERENCE between your S.O.F.T and T.R.U.E priorities.

When you make something a priority for S.O.F.T. reasons, you are stuffing the “wrong things” into the limited time you have.

S.O.F.T. priorities are based from

  • SHOULDS – thinking you should do certain things because that is what “good” women, mothers, and entrepreneurs “should” do)
  • OTHER’S PERCEPTIONS – you do things you don’t want to do because you want to control how others think about you). You say yes so they WILL think “really amazing things” about you. Or, you don’t want them to believe you are incapable so you say yes… stuffing extra things into your already full schedule.
  • FEARS – adding things to your schedule because you’re afraid of what could happen in the future if you don’t do something. If you don’t work out you’ll get a terrible disease. If you say no, people won’t invite you again. Fear that if you slow down or don’t work 24/7, things will fall apart.
  • THEY OR THEM – doing things so you don’t let “them” down or because “they” will be upset if you say no.
If you’re adding tasks to your to-do list for S.O.F.T reasons, you will ALWAYS be over scheduled and trying to stuff too much into a tiny window.

5 Things to Automate in Your Business

5 things you can automate in your business right now for very little cost.

1. Scheduling:

Say bye-bye to back-and-forth emails trying to schedule meetings. Automate regular meetings to the same time/day each week. For those variable meetings, create a free scheduling link using Calendly to automate that process.

2. Create canned emails, and responses, and use templates.

If you’ve sent out the same response, email, or invoice more than once, create a system (as simple as using the notes apps on your phone or creating a Google Doc page) to copy and paste your response or use templates to save time and mental energy.

3. Social Media Posting Service.

Batch your social media content creation and schedule it using a posting service such as Canva or Later (less than $100 a year). These services can be posted on all platforms. Saves time posting and keeps you off social media!

4. Automate Expense Tracking.

Platforms like Expensify, Receipt Bank, and Quicken can automatically track, categorize, and report your business expenses.

5. Automated Surveys & Feedback.

Use tools like Typeform or SurveyMonkey to collect customer feedback automatically after a product purchase or service completion.

Automation doesn’t mean losing the personal touch. It’s optimizing repetitive tasks to focus more on value-driven activities for your business.

Here are My 5 Tips For Productivity

I’ve got 5 practices for you to consider trying!

They are very simple!

But don’t let the simplicity fool you, these practices produce amazing results and save you time!

1. Plan your day the night before

Look at your calendar the night before to prepare for the next day. Notice any obstacles you might have and solve them now. Write down your top 3 things you want to accomplish and set a time for when you will do them. When you plan when you will do something, it’s more likely to get done.

2. Use Results Based Planning in your blocks for time

If you plan to work in your business for 2 hours, don’t just block it off, write down what results you will create during that time.

Example: 9-11 am create 4 social posts, write and send out a newsletter, and follow up with Friday’s clients.

3. Use Automation

If you’ve done something once in your business and you know you’ll do it again, find a way to automate the task.

  • Canned email/SM responses
  • Templates for EVERYTHING newsletter, social media, invoices, etc.
  • Schedule posts, newsletters, & emails
  • Have set days of the week for certain tasks

4. Batch like tasks

  • Create all social media posts or weekly emails on the same day.
  • If you cook dinner, make 2 and set the extra in the freezer to save time for another day.
  • Have set days you run errands or appointments and stick to those days.
  • Laundry, ironing, paying bills, or other home chores on the same day each week.
  • Do specific tasks (client emails, chores, start dinner) at the same time each day to reduce decision fatigue.

5. Have set work hours & protect them.

Designate work hours and honor them. Don’t let anyone or anything (notifications, alerts, SM, the doorbell distract you.) If you honor your work hours, it will teach others to honor them as well.

Were these helpful?

If You Feel Stuck, Ask Yourself This Question

What do you do when you feel stuck or confused?

I know what I do, and it’s often nothing!
  • I stop
  • give up
  • worry
  • doubt
  • eat, watch TV, scroll

all things that lead to zero movement AND STILL BEING STUCK!

Here’s what helps me feel less stuck!

The next time you feel stuck, not sure what to do, ask yourself this one question instead of trying to figure out the big picture to get unstuck.

⁠“What is one thing I can do today that will keep me moving in A direction?”⁠

Answer the question and commit to doing that one thing!

Our direction might need to change from time to time, but if we aren’t taking action, if we aren’t moving, we can’t be guided in our next step.

It’s hard to move a docked shipped!

Just keep moving for more guidance!

This one simple thing will help you stop feeling aimless and confused!

These feelings can arise from external circumstances, but they hit harder when we let those external circumstances make us feel directionless in our current life, daily actions, decisions, and business.

I see you, and I totally understand! Even straightforward, simple daily tasks and decisions can seem like monumental challenges when we feel this way.

I’ve worked myself and my clients through this doubt, uncertainty, and confusion by doing this one simple thing.

SET A GOAL!

– Stick with me! –

Big or small, just knowing a goal is there provides clarity, hope, and direction…

and you want to know why?

Every time we take action, even a tiny one, toward our goal, our brain rewards us by releasing dopamine – nature’s way of saying, “Well done! You did it! Keep going!”

When our brain releases that dopamine, it’s hard to feel confused, aimless, and full of doubt.

DOPAMINE IS SERIOUSLY SO COOL!

It’s our very own motivational speaker cheering us on and offering a feel-good boost every time we progress. It’s the reason why every check on a checklist feels so satisfying and why reaching milestones, no matter how small, makes our hearts swell with pride.

As you think about setting just one goal to support you in finding your aim, consider taking these simple steps.

  • Reflect: What is one thing you could do that will help set you up in the right direction? You might not know what that direction is fully (’tis life), but there’s always something you can do to take action towards finding out.

    For example: Wanting a new job/passion/hobby, but wondering what in? Consider setting a goal to apply for x amount of jobs weekly or try X new hobbies/crafts, and as you take that action, you will understand what options are out there that you DON’T want and what’s out there that you might enjoy.
  • Write down your goal and place it somewhere you can easily access it. Sticky note, reminders app, lock screen, or set an alarm on your phone. It doesn’t matter how, but find a simple way to remind yourself of the goals you’re going after.
  • Decide what actions you will do daily/weekly to make progress toward your dopamine-producing goal, and then set a time (commit) to take those actions daily. If you can’t say at 8 am every day I will then say before I go to bed, I will have… or before the children come home from school I will…. or after I brush my teeth I will X (state the action).

Celebrate the little achievements along the way. Check off the boxes, tell a friend (tell me I want to know), text your kids, give yourself a wink in the mirror, whatever it is, when you complete the step, even a simple one, mentally check it off and ENJOY WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO INCREASE THAT DOPAMINE!

Four Ways to Make the Transition Back to School Smoother

As the summer sun starts to wind down and the back-to-school season approaches, let’s take a moment to acknowledge that even transitions we eagerly anticipate can be challenging.

Here are three ways to make the upcoming transition back to school smoother for both you and your kids.⁠⁠

1. Talk about the Transition:

Talk with your children about their feelings regarding the upcoming school year. Whether it’s excitement, nervousness, frightened, or something in between, acknowledging their feelings and emotions fosters a sense of security and trust for them.

This might be a great time to share your story of 9th grade when you felt just like they are feeling and what you did that helped. For kids (and us moms), knowing you’re not the “only one feeling this way” is very helpful.

Speaking of not being the only one, TBH, most of my clients are super excited for their kids to return to school and get their routines back!

Whether you are excited or wish summer was a little longer means nothing about the type of mom you are, so stop judging how you feel about this transition and make it a good one.

2. Adjustments and Expectations:

A sudden shift from flexible summer days to structured school routines can overwhelm everyone. Start gradually by adjusting expectations and bedtime and wake-up times (for you, too)

I hear this a lot.

“Once the kids return to school, I will FINALLY have 7 hours of uninterrupted time to work on my business.”

But that’s only true, sometimes.

Just because your kids are away from home for 7 hours, interruptions still occur. Create a flexible schedule (and honor it) and start by scheduling 5 hours of work to be completed in the 7 hours you think you have. As you get their school schedule down (and yours), you will be able to do more in the same amount of time, so adjust your expectations slowly.

3. Define the Action Steps:

I encourage my clients to double-check their priorities every six months or after a significant life event. Kids going back to school and you having more time for your business is certainly a big transition.

Most often, our priorities stay the same, BUT the action steps change.

For example, one of your priorities might be the growth of your business. In the summer, your action steps to keep your business growing might be different now that you have a few more hours each day.

In the summer, your priority of health might have been

  • work out for 20-30 minutes 5 times a week
  • fruit or veggie at every meal
  • get 7 hours of sleep each night

With this transition, your priority of health might be the same, but now that your schedule has changed, what actions do you want to take to support your health goal?

  • work out 45 minutes 5 times a week
  • meal prep lunch and plan dinners
  • be in bed by 10:30

Now schedule in those actions steps!

The priorities are important, but defined action steps achieve the results!

4. Celebrate the Little Things:

As the first week occurs, celebrate anything from remembering their lunch, finishing their homework, or not falling asleep in class! Celebrate that you filled out the dreaded forms, finished a few extra SM posts, or signed a new client.

During transitions, it’s crucial to celebrate the win.

Celebrating wins fuels positivity, creates motivation, and helps shift the focus to the joys of the new experience.

Let’s make this back-to-school transition a period of understanding, growth, clarity, and getting results (in your home and your business).

Here’s to a wonderful transition ahead!